Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-02-13

OUE vi luCC lACO vi AAAS NAnNf
weed, and the white shining flowers stud
ding the water like stars studding the SKY
Then she left the bed, and In the half DARK,
ness CROPPED in her work box till she iound
her whistle; and now she took a piece Oh
string and fastened it to the whistle, anu
hung it round her neck. 1t should mana
there, a dear remembrance OF happy Ola
times, of innocent, sunny childhood, when
she had no sOrrows, no dark and dreadful
future before her.
She threw herself on the bed again n
found her pillow wet with tears. She put
the whistle to her lips, not to pipe loud on
it. but to try it, 10 call up old associations
AIasl the whistle would not act, the back
was split. She had piped the last call on
it that night in the park when Joe
had refused to return, plped hef
last chance away; now the voice
WAS gone from the whistle, and with
its failure it appeared to Trip as II every
hone was zone from her. Who could help
her now? Algernon Beaufort was her
lawful husband and protector. h eould
Joe do for her? or her father and mother :
oh the shame of having to return TO
Ripgwood with the confession that she mao
been duped! How could she face Joe 4:
How bear the ieers of those who naa en-
couraged her, yet had secretly envled net'
and would rejoice over her dlsapPoiht-
ment?
Eleven o'clock had struck. Twelve
midnight was past. One o'clock. sui
her husband was not returned. She knew
that the woman Nelly was below, awake
and waiting for her masters return.
more, she was making up n great IRE
in the stove in the d~ining-rO0m.
Nelly WAS much older than Mr.. Beau
fort. very ugly, but her expression was
much more ugly than her features. She
certainly was wholly in his confidence; and
he must assuredly be afraid of offending
her. or he would not have suffered her TO
behave rudely Ia his wife. Trip was sure
that Mr.. Beaufort loved her; she was quite
assured that she did not love him, never
hal loved him-and she was linked to him
by her own act for life.
Two o'clock.
Nelly was at the fire stirring it, adding
coal and coke. Then Trip heard a soft
step ON the stair, or rather the creak of the
STAIR uIltI sll dNNCiluilS hNAN NlN~t'a' "N
once the rattle Of a loose bar in the hanls-
ter. Trip heard the step at her door. Nelly
had come there to listen if her mistress
were asleep, to see if the room were dark.
Apparently satisfied, Nelly descended with
less caution than she had mounted. The
woman thought Trip a young, vain, pretty
fool, not requiring much watching, incapa-
bic of giving much trouble.
Three o'clock.
Still no signs of the return of Mr.. Beau
fort. Where could he be? What could he
be doing? Why should he conceal his
movements from his own wife?
Trip rose from the bed and went TO the
window: ut the head of the row was a gas
light, none lower. Another would be
added. NAV he, when the row was COM
pleted aud the houses let. The road was
bad, furrowed with the wheels of carts and
traction engines that brought building ma
terials to the newly erecting houses.
Surely the new day was dawning. There
n raw light behind that house opposite
which was uninhabited. Surely there was
some discerning of the bushes and rails of
the little garden!
All at once, as Trip was considering this,
a conveyance stopped at the gate. and four
men Jumped down, IL stood by the horse,
and three lifted something from the trap
and carried il to the house. Nelly had
opened the door. no bell rang. Trip heard
stems below i'm the little hall. Then the
horse and trap departed; the door of the
house was bOlted and locked, and Trip
- IL ..-.l - Al thra, Y,aY, NNhn hn1
entered the house 90 into the hack parlor'
What they carried was heavy, that she
knew nv the weight o theirtread. She had
opened her door, and held it aiar listening.
Not a word was spoken ia Nelly or by
the men; one of whom was probably MIR.
Beaufort.
Trim seated herself on the side Of her bed
considering what she should do. Her heart
beat fast and s~pasmOdicailv. She was she
felt on the threshold of a discovery which
might bring on her unuttcrahle wretehed-
ness, and vet-it would he a relief to the
uncomfortable suspense to know the truth
What should she do? Wait till morning,
and then question her husband, telling him
frankly what she had done and seen? Then
he might evade her questions a. he had
cvaded them hitherto.
Would il not he better for her to act at
once. 20 downstairs and confront him with
his friends and Nelly, and demand an i'm
mediate explanation?
Trip stood up. Her determination was
made. Softly, silently, rs Nelly had stolen
up the stairs, did Trip now steal down.
There was no light in tue passage below
hut a little gray dawn Crept in through the
staircase window. She reached the hall and
saw a light under the back parlor door.
She rested her hand on the handles for one
moment of irreSolutiOn. Then, rs she had
had the strength once In launch herself on
her aerial flight, 80 did she now launch
herself on this excursion into the mystery
that went on in her own house. She open
ed the door and stepped boldly in.
Before her. with terror on their faces,
stood three men in rough coats, and one,
though disguised, she recognized rs her
husband. There also was Nelly The tire
in the stove was glowing red aud over it
was a crucible.
On the table was spread out a quantity
of silver plate-kettles, candlesticks, cream
Jugs, spoons, forks, platters, and ranged as
though in mOckery, one after the other. all
round the table rim, t~weuty-fOur little sill
yer wheclbarrows, inscribed "~PrOpera."
Trip uttered a cry, The Ringwood
plate
CHAPTER Nv.
ONCE MORE.
4 fortnight had passed since Trip had
made the discovery that her husband was
one of a gang of burglars, and that this
had taken the Ringwood plate.
1t was night. The wind was high, blow
ing from the northwest over the clayland
IL IL r.nr,,,r -, H. Arnn- nI thn m II.